The map below is based on the tithe
map of 1840, and it gives us an idea
of the community in the early years of
Queen Victoria's reign.
From the map we can see that Merthyr Cynog
itself was a cluster of buildings around the church. Most people in the
parish lived in scattered farms and holdings. This is a settlement pattern
common in the upland areas of Powys.

The
original map was not aligned with north at the top, so we have turned
it round to make it easier to compare with later maps.

TITHE MAPS
In Victorian times almost everyone had to pay tithes to the Church of
England. At the beginning of the reign the tithe became a tax on your
property. The maps were drawn to see what property everybody had

The chapel
at the top of the map is Siloah Methodist
chapel. This meant that local people in this remote upland area had a choice
of worship. They could attend the chapel or the parish church.

Most of the
local people in early Victorian times would have worked on the land in some
way. The census returns for 1841
tell us who was living here and what else they did for a living.

In the village
and the wider parish (including Upper Chapel)
there were 4 blacksmiths, a tailor,
a bookbinder, 2 coopers,
2 masons, 4 carpenters,
2 masons, a publican
and a tollgate keeper.
In the village of Merthyr Cynog itself the blacksmith who kept his forge
across from the church was Thomas Price..